CSN Washington reported: Hooking Up a Buddy!The Potomac remains frozen shore to shore. It’s time to get ready for the thaw! Chances are the Silver Buddy bite will be strong! Check your hooks! These lures are snagged a lot, dulling hooks. Feel for a rolled-over point by running your fingernail from the barb or the outside of the hook point, toward the tip. It might feel like a small “catch” but it will make hook penetration difficult.
There are several ways to sharpen hooks, but eventually there’s not enough metal left on the point to be effective. Replacement is required.
Don’t use split rings! Hooks will tangle. Mustad makes a split shank treble that can be threaded into Silver Buddy hook holes. Take the point of the single shaft of the split shank treble and penetrate the hole. Rotate the hook upward and push it down into the hook hole. With needle nose pliers, pull until the eye of the hook is hanging on the lure. Squeeze split shaft together to close the gap.
No split shaft trebles? Cut the eye of a Mustad Round bend Ultra Point treble close to the shaft with cutting pliers. Twist the eye to open enough to hook it onto the bait. Use the body of the Silver Buddy to twist the gap closed. You’ll hear a slight snap when it’s in place.
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